So PPK, what are some ingredients you've always wanted to try, but have yet to get around to? Alternately, what are some foods you wish you did more with/cooked more often, but always forget because your pantry is filled with more familiar stuff?

Post subject: Re: ingredients you've never cooked with, but would like to

Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 10:14 am

Married to the wolfman

Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2010 9:49 pmPosts: 6096Location: Santa Cruz, CA

Lychees. And there are a lot of types of mushrooms I really haven't worked with at all.

If you're looking for a starting point for recipes or just general techniques, I recommend Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian. (There's a chapter on dairy in it that you can just skip, but more or less everything else is either vegan or vegan if you sub oil for ghee.)

Post subject: Re: ingredients you've never cooked with, but would like to

Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 12:20 pm

Drunk Dialed Ian MacKaye

Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2010 12:09 amPosts: 1854Location: New Portleans

may i suggest an avenue for the chayote? in new orleans, chayotes are called mirliton (pronounced mella=tawn), and if you google for that you can find a lot of interesting recipes: stuffed, casseroles, gumbo, etc. there is even a mirliton festival at the end of every summer.

xokittee

_________________Cake Maker to the Starspakupaku"Stupid society. I'm gonna go put on bikini kill."~Susie Tofu Monster"Kittee is wise. Listen to Kittee."~Aruna--> the PPKr currently known as mumbaikar

Post subject: Re: ingredients you've never cooked with, but would like to

Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 2:27 pm

Should Write a Goddam Book Already

Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2010 2:23 pmPosts: 1049Location: MKE

kittee wrote:

may i suggest an avenue for the chayote? in new orleans, chayotes are called mirliton (pronounced mella=tawn), and if you google for that you can find a lot of interesting recipes: stuffed, casseroles, gumbo, etc.

Your recipe for stuffed mirliton was the 5th Google result when I searched for mirliton. Looks amaaaaaazing, thank you! Plus, it gives me an excuse to make CORNBREAD MMMMM. <3

I just saw some canned at my local Indian grocer, and it's always been stocked fresh and canned at my local Vietnamese grocer, so (at least in MKE) it isn't too hard to find. I am TOTALLY intimidated by it, but it's a great idea for this project!

lavawitch wrote:

Why haven't you two made Vcon lemon bars?

I haven't made them because I'm not a huge lemon bar fan (the texture kinda bugs me), but seeing as it comes so highly recommended, I'll have to give it a shot.

PS, lavender cooking wannabes -- I've used chopped lavender leaves in place of rosemary on roasted potatoes. Delicious and not at all perfume-y, as I'd feared. Lavender salt sounds good, too, though I've never tried it.

I just saw some canned at my local Indian grocer, and it's always been stocked fresh and canned at my local Vietnamese grocer, so (at least in MKE) it isn't too hard to find. I am TOTALLY intimidated by it, but it's a great idea for this project!

I don't have specialty groceries like that in my town or right near it... google time! I want to try this BBQ "pork," especially if its as easy as cooking it in the crock pot like Lubi suggested!